You might want be struggling to implement employee incentives or rewards into your new business and you are wondering what on earth is happening. Maybe you have started a new job and you hate it – despite the work being the same and the salary and incentives being better. Why is that? The fact is, there are no two organisations that have the same culture. We get easily suckered into the idea that it’s all perks and kind words and regular feedback – but at the core of every workplace, there is a different structure. Without this being right for what you can do, you will really struggle. To try and look at what the common themes are, we took a look at Charles Handy. Charles Handy CBE was born in 1932 and is an Irish author/philosopher specialising in organisational behaviour and management. He is most famous for his book Understanding Organisations (1976, revised 1991) and Gods Of Management (1978), where he used metaphors of the Greek Gods to explain different organisational cultures: Zeus (power, patriarchy, ‘the club’ culture), Apollo (order, reason, bureaucracy, the ‘role’ culture), Athena (expertise, wisdom, meritocracy, ‘task’ culture). Dionysus (individualism, professionalism, non-corporate, existentialist culture) When we saw the learnings on different cultures in forms including tasks, roles and positioning here – we had to revisit it. It might be HR 101, but it’s always interesting to share with new employees or to check in. The spider web The spider web has the big cheese perched firmly in the middle of the web ‘… because the key to the whole organisation sits in the centre, surrounded by ever-widening circles of intimates and influence. The closer you are to the spider, the more influence you have’. If you have a spider web organisation you are built around power at the core or the top. You might suggest you have a ‘family feel’ – but you are likely to have meetings with a few key individuals and a culture where you are either in – or you are out. Control is key, whether that is financial, or decision making – unless you are in the family group and close to the ‘spider’ you are unlikely to influence any change. Whilst there might be autonomy in the day to day, true power is based on your position. This workplace is competitive, fast-paced, fickle and at times= unfair. However, done correctly, the spider web organisation is a happy organisation with a sense of community and shared goals. You might suggest you have a ‘family feel’ – but you are likely to have meetings with a few key individuals and a culture where you are either in – or you are out. Control is key, whether that is financial, or decision making – unless you are in the family group and close to the ‘spider’ you are unlikely to influence any change. Whilst there might be autonomy in the day to day, true power is based on your position. This workplace is competitive, fast-paced, fickle and at times= unfair. However, done correctly, the spider web organisation is a happy organisation with a sense of community and shared goals. Whilst there might be autonomy in the day to day, true power is based on your position. This workplace is competitive, fast-paced, fickle and at times= unfair. However, done correctly, the spider web organisation is a happy organisation with a sense of community and shared goals. Role culture Often drawn from a range of columns propping up a ledge or a roof, the role culture is a business where it is the job of the column, not each column that is important/ Each ‘job’ can be done by anyone, so succession planning is a real strength. You will be judged on your skills and standardisation is key. You will be able to perform your role and there is no time for superstars or egos – except the boss! “In such a culture the subordinates have no option but to strictly follow their superior’s instructions. The employees do not have the liberty to express their views or share their ideas on an open forum and have to follow what their superior says. The managers in such a type of culture sometimes can be partial to someone or the other leading to major unrest among others.” ( You will be able to perform your role and there is no time for superstars or egos – except the boss! “In such a culture the subordinates have no option but to strictly follow their superior’s instructions. The employees do not have the liberty to express their views or share their ideas on an open forum and have to follow what their superior says. The managers in such a type of culture sometimes can be partial to someone or the other leading to major unrest among others.” ( The managers in such a type of culture sometimes can be partial to someone or the other leading to major unrest among others.” (Source) A big personality such as the spider web’s ideal employee will not thrive in a role culture. The role culture is also a natural fit for output jobs such as public service and offers security. The downside is the lack of freedom and expression, breaking out of your specific role can be near impossible! Task culture If you work in a task culture, don’t get it twisted with role culture. instead of having just 1 job and the ability to clock in and clock out, task led work is based around project after project and you may have little control of the day to day. Speed is the key element of the business and you need to have outcomes at the focus. Great ideas and creativity, clocking in and working are all unacceptable – you need to be working as aa flexible, adaptable and agile group and be adept at problem-solving. Security isn’t possible when people are working for the good of the project, which means you might be critical one month, and near enough redundant the next. At the same time, when the resource is scarce there can be competition for the best people, creating a tense workplace. In such a culture every team member has to contribute equally and accomplish tasks in the most innovative way. A task culture will require you to develop and expand a set of skills and bring them to multiple projects. Person culture Often drawn out as the galaxy of individual stars, burning bright, the person culture is designed around an individual worker. If you have a person culture, you have one corporate objective and little hierarchies beyond this, without management. In the idea person culture, the person would have more power than the organisation – with Handy stating “An individual can leave the organisation, but the organisation seldom has the power to evict an individual.” An organisation with a person culture is really just a collection of individuals who happen to be working for the same organisation – think a lawyer firm, solicitors, university lecturers – a role that isn’t about a project, time restraints or power – but just the creation of work. An organisation with a person culture is really just a collection of individuals who happen to be working for the same organisation – think a lawyer firm, solicitors, university lecturers – a role that isn’t about a project, time restraints or power – but just the creation of work. A great example of a person culture is that taken by a consultant or a freelancer who is able to come into the business, offer expertise and advice, before leaving. In short, a person culture is a workplace that attracts specialist for a brief period of time, without every forming into a role or task based culture. Handy continues “Being specialists, alternative employment is often easy to obtain, and they may not acknowledge anyone as being in a position to exercise expert power greater than their own. Position power not backed up by resource power means nothing to such people, and coercive power is not usually available. They may not be influenced by group norms or relationships with colleagues, which might be expected to moderate their personal preferences. This leaves only personal power – and such people are often not easily impressed by personality.” Handy continues “Being specialists, alternative employment is often easy to obtain, and they may not acknowledge anyone as being in a position to exercise expert power greater than their own. Position power not backed up by resource power means nothing to such people, and coercive power is not usually available. They may not be influenced by group norms or relationships with colleagues, which might be expected to moderate their personal preferences. This leaves only personal power – and such people are often not easily impressed by personality.” You can read more about the different types of personalities here. What kind of workplace culture do you have? Post navigation How to embrace the co-working culture? Just be yourself
